Graphical user interface for an appliance network
A graphical user interface is disclosed for use with an appliance network. To improve understanding of the network, the interface includes a metaphorical representation of a connected appliance that is animated to metaphorically simulate an activity related to the appliance.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/344,547, filed Oct. 18, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to graphical user interfaces for data processing devices and, more particularly, to a graphical user interface for a data processing network that includes appliances.
Steadily increasing numbers of home appliances are being equipped with digital microcontrollers. While improved performance is typically the reason for incorporating digital control in an appliance, the availability of home appliances with data processing capability has led to recognition that appliances could be connected in a network and controllable from remote locations within the home and from outside the home, such as from an office, or a cellular phone. An appliance network might also be connected to other networks such as the World Wide Web (the “web”), a security system, or an entertainment system. In addition to the convenience of remotely controlling an appliance's operation, networking facilitates remote monitoring of an appliance's performance by a repair organization and promotes safety by warning remote users of potentially dangerous conditions related to the appliance. For the same or similar reasons, devices intended for a particular purpose or use, whether a typical home appliance or not, may be networked in schools, businesses, or other environments.
While appliance networks have the potential to increase convenience and safety, traditional appliance users may find it difficult to conceptualize an appliance network because the function of the network differs from that of the appliances. In addition, appliance networks are principally communication networks and the invisibility of communication further increases the difficulty of conceptualizing interaction between two appliances. For example, checking the status of drying clothes from a display on a microwave oven is not intuitive. An appliance network may also be connected to the Internet with access to e-commerce or other web sites. Users may find it difficult to navigate the Internet and to understand how to achieve a desired objective at a web site through interaction with an appliance.
Graphical user interfaces (GUI) for data processing systems utilize icons to represent physical objects and often a metaphorical representation of the system to aid the user's navigation. For example, a prevalent GUI for personal computers includes icons representing virtual file folders to metaphorically represent the data stored on the computer. However, such GUIs represent the internal data structure of a computing device or program such as a game but are not useful for aiding understanding of the operation of and communication within a network comprising a multiplicity of appliances with disparate functions and operating characteristics.
What is desired, therefore, is a user interface for an appliance network that facilitates understanding the network and the effects of the user's interaction with the network.
Referring to
An appliance network 20 is basically a communication and control network. However, the concept of an appliance network is not intuitively obvious because the function of the network (communication between appliances) is different from the function of the standalone appliances and communication between network nodes (appliances, web sites, or other devices) is not visible to the user or easy to conceptualize. Further, many potential users of appliance networks are likely to have little or no experience with data processing networks. In addition, appliance networks are likely to be dynamic in nature with ad hoc networks being formed as appliances are either permanently or temporarily added and removed from the network.
Similar problems exist, particularly for new users, with the Internet and the World Wide Web (the “web). It is often difficult to understand the purpose of a web site and how interaction with a web page displayed on a web browser can accomplish the user's purpose. Conceptualizing interaction with a web page displayed on an appliance can be even more difficult.
The current inventor concluded that the utility of an appliance network would be enhanced if the network incorporated a user interface that presents information tailored to the user's need, supports actions consistent with human reasoning about the network and its function, and provides continuous visual feedback to the user relating operational response of the network to actions taken by the user. The interface of the present invention utilizes an animated metaphorical representation of the appliances or other nodes of the network to analogize or simulate the status, operation or other activity related to the appliance or node. Visual representation of communication aids user recognition of communication procedures and interaction of the connected appliances.
Referring to
The visual agent server 60 includes an operating system 64 and a Java server application 66. An applet, a program executed from another application program, or an application program for each appliance is stored in an agent applet database 68. The computer readable instructions of the applet or application define the agent or metaphorical representation of the appliance and the animated behavior of the agent to metaphorically simulate activity related to the appliance during one or more scenarios or sequence of events selectable by user or system input. When an appliance is energized, the appropriate applet or application 70 is automatically downloaded from the visual agent server and executed. Each movement of the agent is controlled by the visual agent server 60 utilizing an appropriate network communication method such as Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and communication interfaces 72 and 74 of the agent server and the appliance. When the visual agent server 60 receives a user command 76, the command is interpreted by a user input interpreter 78. In response, an agent state manager 80 of the visual agent server 60 sends a command to the appropriate appliance 62 or other node directing the appliance to execute the scenario or sequence of events animating the metaphorical representation of the appliance to metaphorically simulate the activity of the appliance corresponding to the user input. When the appliance 62 executes the corresponding scenario in the applet or application, a response is sent to the server 66 indicating completion of the scenario. The response is received by the agent state manager 80 and the current status of the agent is stored in an agent state database 82 of the visual agent server 60. The agent state manager 80 controls the visual agent server's operation by updating the agent state database 82, sending commands to appliances and other network nodes 62, and receiving responses from the nodes.
The typical networked appliance 62 includes an operating system 84 and the appropriate applet or application 70 downloaded from the visual agent server 60 through the communications interface 74. In addition, the appliance 62 includes a user input interface 86, such as a keyboard or key pad, touch screen, pointing device, or a voice recognition and command system. When the user initiates a command to the agent through the input interface 86, the command is directed to the visual agent server 60 where it is translated by the user input interpreter 78. The typical networked appliance also includes an output interface 90 to control a display of the animated agent and may include an audio output device. The appliance may also include a web browser 88 permitting the user to access web pages from one or more of the plurality of appliances connected to the appliance network 20.
Typically, a user's interaction with an appliance network is initiated at an introduction screen 101 such as that illustrated in
The user inputs a command to the appliance with the device's input interface. For example, the user might speak to the tablet phone 32 and instruct the phone through voice recognition to check the status of a toaster that is connected to the network in some other area of the house. The user's command is input to the visual agent server 60 and the server instructs the appropriate applet or application program for the tablet phone 32 to respond to a scenario of communication with the toaster and animate the metaphorical agent 108 on the tablet phone display panel 100 to metaphorically simulate a journey to the toaster to determine the toaster's status. As illustrated in
The animated metaphor of the inventive interface also assists in conceptualizing interaction with web sites through a web browser 88 operating on an appliance 62. For example, a user of the tablet phone 32 may be displaying a web page 130 on the phone's display 100 with a web browser as illustrated in
The graphical user interface of the present invention promotes conceptualization of the appliance network and activities related to the devices attached to the network. With an animated metaphor for attached appliances the user can envision the network and the appliance's status. Animation of the metaphors to metaphorically perform tasks such as journeying to other appliances to suggest communication aids the user in understanding the effects of the user's interaction with the network.
All the references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A user interface for a data processing network including at least two appliances that each have an associated display for presenting said user interface to a user, said interface comprising:
- (a) one or more first metaphorical representations, each said first metaphorical representation representing a respective appliance in said data processing network; and
- (b) a second metaphorical representation of the appliance upon which said display is presented, said second metaphorical representation capable of an animation of a simulated journey of said second metaphorical representation to a user-specified one of said one or more first metaphorical representations, said animation indicating that user instructions are being performed by which said appliance upon which said display is presented is interacting with the appliance associated with said user-specified one of said one or more first metaphorical representations.
2. The user interface of claim 1 where each of said first metaphorical representations pictorially describe the particular appliance respectively represented.
3. The user interface of claim 1 where said second metaphorical representation pictorially describes the particular appliance represented.
4. The user interface of claim 1 where the display of an appliance includes a first metaphorical representation representing said appliance.
5. The user interface of claim 1 where each said appliance is capable of being controlled through the user interface displayed by another said appliance.
6. The user interface of claim 5 where each said first metaphorical representation is capable of animation, animation of which indicates a state of its associated appliance.
7. The user interface of claim 1 where every appliance in said network includes an associated said display.
8. The user interface of claim 1 where said data processing network is a peer-to-peer network.
9. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said second metaphorical representation includes an animated simulation of a journey of said metaphorical representation of said appliance to a web site.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 4, 2002
Date of Patent: Aug 21, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20030076341
Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. (Camas, WA)
Inventor: Hikaru Kuki (Nara)
Primary Examiner: Jungwon Chang
Attorney: Chernoff, Vilhauer, McClung & Stenzel
Application Number: 10/117,664
International Classification: G06F 15/16 (20060101); G05B 15/00 (20060101);